The former prime minister says it is time governments around the world
produced a 'global strategy' to deal with acts of terrorism motivated by
religion

Religious extremism has become biggest source of conflict around the world and could be the defining battle of the 21st century, Tony Blair has said.

Referring to conflicts in the Arab world from Syria to Egypt as well as those in Nigeria and the Philippines Mr Blair said: “There is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. Is is a perversion of faith.

While the 20th century had been defined by political ideology Mr Blair said the battles of this century would be fought in the name of religion.

Writing in The Observer Mr Blair said it was time Governments around the world recognised the "clear common theme" in all recent conflicts and “produce a global strategy to deal with it.”

He said: “But there is no doubt that those who commit the violence often do so by reference to their faith and the sectarian nature of the conflict is a sectarianism based on religion. There is no doubt either that this phenomenon is growing, not abating.”

The former Prime Minister who led Britain in to the Iraq conflict in 2003 appears to suggest that previous aspirations to export operations focused too much on exporting political objectives rather than dealing with the issue of religion.

However sources close to Mr Blair told The Observer it was in no way admitting mistakes over past interventions including invading Iraq.

Mr Blair said: “The purpose should be to chance the policy of governments; to start to treat this issue of religious extremism as an issue that is about religion as well as politics, to go to the roots of where a false view of religion is being promulgated and to make it a major item on the agenda of world leader to combine effectively to combat it.

“This is a struggle that is just beginning.”

Mr Blair’s words came after the week after a bar worker attempted to perform a citizen’s arrest on Mr Blair while he was eating with his family at a restaurant in East London. Twiggy Garcia said he was making the arrest because he believed Mr Blair was a “war criminal” who had launched an “unprovoked war against Iraq.”

Mr Blair refused to leave and instead began talking about Syria, asking why Mr Garcia was not more concerned about the current conflict.